Keep on Truckin - Trailer mod

[[aps]gnat 28]

<span style='font-size:13pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:Darkred'>Trailer Towing Test</span></span>

As ArmA has getter Geo LOD dynamics I thought I try a "hitching" method of dragging a trailer around. Its done by creating a "hole" in the Geo LOD of the truck and creating a "pin" under the trailer. Surprisingly it works quite well with absolutely no scripts, but it not perfect.

One major flaw is that ArmA ignores the interaction of the truck and trailer Geo LODs once they get a certain distance from the "player" .... hence when AI drives disappear from sight the whole thing stops working !!  

Anyhow, for about 6 hours editing and testing and another 2 hours videoing .... I think its a good start

Thanks to Sigma-6 for the inspiration via his very nice Prime Mover !

<span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'>

37MB Demo Video and Preview</span>

[GIJOE94 0]

Wow thats sooo cool!!!! Why not add a scriptso you can open doors of cargo hold + load cargo?Can I beta test this fine addon?

[BraTTy 0]

Hmm , seeing this and your testing. Makes me think walking on moving vehicles is possible (when player stops create a geometry box to move the inactive player)

[Col. Faulkner 0]

Does that trucker have a Yorkie?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=olI5xzshtFQ

ArmA continues to regress me further into my childhood.

I used to play with toy soldiers (had thousands of them)

and also use to play at reversing my toy artics into parking

spaces (just like grandpa in real life). Can't wait to have a

go with this addon!

[Panda-PL- 0]

Looks very cool Gnat.

The method is totally crazy, good job .

[Gunney 0]

Very nice i was waiting for a truck w/ cargo =p

[MEDICUS 0]

Very cool, Gnat!

MfG Medicus

[quiet_man 8]

Gnat @ June 30 2007,20:20)]One major flaw is that ArmA ignores the interaction of the truck and trailer Geo LODs once they get a certain distance from the "player" .... hence when AI drives disappear from sight the whole thing stops working !!

add a script that checks the distance between truck and trailer and moves the trailer when required, if it is outside player view it doesn't matter when it "jumps"

point is when it gets back into view, can the script "rejoin" precise enough for the other lock to kick in again?

Great Work! Can't wait to have convoys across the islands!

QuietMan

[Guest Ti0n3r]

Wow, well done

[dob 0]

very nice

[Blanco 0]

Wow, impressive!

[Balschoiw 0]

That´s very cool. Not only for the truck in your example, but you just found a way to create joints between any kind of objects in Arma, be it towable artillery, chains, ropes, etc. Very nice find.

[wika_woo 182]

Well cool man..

Did you ever play Rigs Of Rods by any chance?..

Physics of the trailer look very simmilar

[Scrub 0]

Awesome!

Good to see info on interactions between objects. Looks to be a good testbed for carrier type situations.

Good work!

[Stugwi 0]

Now all we need is Hasselhoff and KITT

[gumby123 0]

i can get the dimensions of my trans am if you want

[smellyjelly 0]

Looks awesome, practically flawless, except I don't like the wheels. They don't match, they have a green tint to them, except the back three, which are white. Also, as mentioned, there are three wheels on the very back. I've only seen trucks with two.

[Kerry 0]

Bitchin work!

[StryDa 0]

Wow! This looks great! Will you make other trailers like low loaders and ammo trailers etc. Would be awesome! Also does it have an option to attach/detach a trailer?

[-ZG-BUZZARD 0]

It will have if Gnat is successful in mimicking the Peterbuilt "Tater Salad" truck made by Delta Hawk for OFP... thinking of which, could you try to import that one into ArmA, Gnat? But in Optimus Prime (TFTM) Paintjob, please!

[bionic 10]

Haha now i know where Microsoft lost their VISTA "WOW effect"

Great work Gnat that video looked really cool also ArmA seems to do a nice job.

greets

[bravo 6 0]

That´s very cool. Not only for the truck in your example, but you just found a way to create joints between any kind of objects in Arma, be it towable artillery, chains, ropes, etc. Very nice find.

thats exactly what i 1st tought..

I hope its workes in MP aswell.. it will be an open to new hole ideas!

Thanks you very much

Question: Why the trailer does not have shadows. Maybe the tools are needed?

[jasono 0]

I think in multiplayer, the slight bit of lag on the cab will make everything go crazy. The collision detection in SP is ok, but in MP, if something warps (even if its fast warps) it will probably release the trailer as the trailer will not move with the cab of the truck (the server doesnt see the trailer and cab attached). If they do stay together they will probably bang into each other constantly causing the vehicle and trailer to take damage.

[Sgt_Eversmann 1]

Could someone upload the video to youtube?

Because here @ work it's better for me to watch youtube links than download videos

This is very promising and I hope that we'll get _many_ variations in the future

It would be like 18 Wheels of Steel (I mean the PC Game) and making some cool big missions it would be even better

edit: Just bought 18 Wheels of Steel - Haulin for like 20€

ZOMG, the old truckin times, spending hours with my little brother in front of the pc, delivering virtual goods will be back in some days

[Major Gripe 0]

Looks awesome, practically flawless, except I don't like the wheels. They don't match, they have a green tint to them, except the back three, which are white. Also, as mentioned, there are three wheels on the very back. I've only seen trucks with two.

Maybe you should look harder!